In the Night Sky: Orion (FutureLearn)

You’ll examine one of the most famous constellations Orion. Starting with its nebula, where new stars and planets are formed, you’ll take a look at the seven brightest stars that make up Orion using high-quality images, including from the Hubble Space Telescope.
You’ll learn about exoplanets and the secrets to life outside our Solar System. And you’ll think about the Milky Way, considering the history of the universe from the Big Bang to the present.
The course was produced with the kind support of Dangoor Education.

What topics will you cover?

• Find the constellation of Orion in the night sky
• Learn all about the legend of Orion
• Discover how the constellations were used for navigation
• Discover the amazing process that causes stars to form
• Find out what happens to different stars over their lifetime
• Learn what happens when stars run out of fuel
• Find out what the night sky can reveal about the Big Bang theory
• Get involved with classifying galaxies into different shapes
• Take a tour of space through the PIRATE telescope
• Find out what is important about the Earth’s position
• Discuss whether you think there are other planets just like ours
• Find out about The Open University’s project to map the stars

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

• Apply facts, concepts, principles, theories, classification systems and language used in astronomy.
• Develop the knowledge and understanding of the range of sizes, distances and motions of objects in the night sky.
• Develop the knowledge and understanding of the structure, evolution and the main processes operating in stars.
• Develop the knowledge and understanding of the properties of planets in our Solar System and exoplanetary systems.
• Demonstrate the knowledge and understanding of the history of the Universe.